


You Only Live Once

by holyfreckles



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Magical Girls, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Except more like Magical Boys, M/M, Magical Boys, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating will definitely change, oh my god there's a tag for that, some background Eremin if you squint I suppose
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-03-23
Updated: 2014-03-31
Packaged: 2018-01-16 18:17:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1357261
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holyfreckles/pseuds/holyfreckles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Don't ever wish upon a star - it's guaranteed that life will spiral into shit and you'll become a Magical Boy. Okay, maybe not, but y'know. I'm Jean Kirschtein, and welcome to jackass. Today: I'm a Magical Boy and I have to help defeat these 'creatures'. Stay tuned for more. I'm an idiot.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> My hand slipped I swear.

Everyone makes mistakes, right? Yeah.

Except...this mistake was the biggest I’ve ever made. Putting my friends in danger, befriending those who could die without warning, fighting these..things that endanger everyone.

All because of one wish.

‘I want to save people.’

I’d wished upon a star, little did I know my wish would come true.

I’m going to catch you up on everything, then we’ll come back to the scene I’m watching.

My name is Jean Kirschtein, eighteen years old, and the biggest idiot to ever exist.

For lack of better terms, I suppose you’d call me a ‘Magical Boy’, kinda like that anime...Sailor Moon, was it? Anyway, Magical Boys instead of Magical Girls, and it’s not as gentle as the animations. People die, the things I fight could tear me apart if I make one wrong move.

Last week, I wished upon a star. I meant I wanted to save people as in become a Police Officer, or something along those lines, but I got much more than I bargained for. So much more. And it’s so much more taxing on me, I honestly don’t know how I’m going to continue on, but I have to, I don’t know if there’s a way to stop.

I discovered my...uh, ‘power’ the day after I wished upon the star, when I had no choice but to save myself from a creature, it was like...a wolf, but it had two heads and was definitely after my flesh. It came as an instinct, and I ‘transformed’, I suppose.

Now, obviously, there’s a different transformation, I’m not gonna be in a frilly dress or whatever. I mean, I was pretty stylish, but that’s not the point.

Oh, you’re curious about what I was wearing?

A long black coat with silver clasps, white pants and knee-high black boots. Really, nothing too special, except, yeah, it is special, because it protects me from attacks. Uh-huh.

My weapon?

Well, not just one, I have twin-pistols, and they seem to have unlimited bullets - though they’re different, they don’t make a noise and they kind-of..shoot out glowing white light that honestly, saved my life.

But anyway.

I honestly didn’t, and I still don’t know what to do, I felt like I was all alone, and I couldn’t, and still can’t tell anyone, because it’s a secret I have to keep. No-one believes me anyway, typical.

So...I think you’re all caught up now, back to what’s going on.

\--

I stand on a bridge, it’s a cold Sunday morning and I’m absently checking out the symbol on my hand. It’s a black cross, with a circle around it and a silver infinity symbol over the cross and in the middle of the circle. It passes off as a tattoo, and it is pretty cool, but it’s what my ‘powers’ are contained in, I think.

The first thing I notice is how the sky isn’t a pale blue colour anymore, it’s changed to a dark purple-ish colour, and there’s nobody around. Out of the sky comes a large, pale pink and purple beast, it looks like a cat, but it’s huge and has two tails, and it’s eyes are pure white.

It gives a loud yowl and looks at me, hovering in the sky, and I step back, ready to transform, until I hear someone yell.

There’s a flash, I close my eyes and flinch back, and a shadow covers me. Fuck.

I’m ready for my death, I honestly am, but it doesn’t come. I half-open my eyes and see that someone’s standing in front of me, and the cat’s eyes are focused on them. It watches their movements as they run towards it, jumping up and throwing knives towards the cat. All the knives hit, the cat hisses in pain and lifts it’s head, exposing it’s neck, and a small golden gem there.

The stranger chuckles and lands on the ground, before kicking off and throwing more knives towards the cat. One of the knives sticks into the gem, and I watch as it shatters, as a blinding golden flash causes me to have to close my eyes. I listen to the cat’s dying wails, hearing a soft thud in front of me as the person lands there.

When I open my eyes, the cat is gone, the sky is back to normal, and the person who saved me is..

A completely ordinary guy? He turns to look at me and smiles, soft brown eyes seeming to study me.

I’m not gonna lie, he looks like a complete loser(okay, maybe a cute loser).

Hair parted neatly in the middle, freckles dotting his cheeks, and he’s taller than me, I notice.

“You okay there?” He asks.

I open my mouth, then close it again, and his gaze flicks to my hand.

“Oh.” He says.

“Yeah.” I swallow.

Absently, I let my gaze flick to his hand, and notice he has a similar mark. He notices me looking and smiles, holding his hand out to show me.

It’s different to mine. There’s the same cross and circle, but it’s white, and the symbol inside is golden, in the shape of a heart.

“So you’re...one of us?” The stranger asks, and I realise I’ve been staring. I swallow thickly and hold my hand out to show him the symbol, and he nods slightly, looking around carefully. “Um.” He sighs, “are you free today? I, uh. I can take you for coffee or something to...say sorry for that.” He points to the sky, and I figure he’s referring to the cat.

“Sure?” I tilt my head to the side, “it would be nice to know your name, though.” I add slowly, and he pinches the bridge of his nose, like he’s just remembered that I’m a complete stranger.

“Oh. I’m Marco Bodt, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” He smiles brightly.

“Jean Kirschtein.” I introduce myself, and I realise that I’m completely relaxed - maybe he’s just got that type of aura about him. Huh.

Marco rubs the back of his neck and I take a brief moment to scan over what he’s wearing - he’s in normal clothing, I notice - plain jeans and a white hoodie with beaten-up looking sneakers. Not much different from mine, just different colours.

“So. I know a good place for coffee.” He says, and I nod. “It’s not far from here, either. You coming? I have a strange feeling that you’re new, and I can explain things.”

“Yes, please.” I’m honestly relieved by the offer - I want to know what’s going on, because I’ve been on my own for the past week, and I’m still confused, though I know how to transform and all that crap - it’s easy to figure out, it’s like instinct.

Marco begins to walk and gestures for me to follow, which I do. I may not be sociable, but I know how to be mildly polite to people who offer me help if I want it, and I definitely want this, because I need to understand before I end up getting myself killed.

He meant it when he said it wasn’t far - it’s literally just around the corner, and it looks kinda small, but cozy at the same time. A small bell chimes as we enter, and a blond-haired guy looks up, smiling brightly at Marco, before his gaze flicks to me.

“Hey Marco, uh..who’s that?” He asks.

“Jean Kirschtein,” Marco replies, and taps the hand with his symbol on. The blond opens his mouth in an ‘o’ shape, and I wonder briefly if there are more people who are like me and him.

“I’m Armin Arlert,” the guy behind the counter smiles softly at me, and I nod in return, noticing that he has a similar symbol to mine and Marco’s - except the cross and circle seem to be a pale purple colour and the symbol inside is hard to make out - maybe I’ll get to see it later.

Marco sits at a table and gestures for me to sit opposite while Armin makes some coffee.

“So, Jean.” He leans back in his chair, “what happened with you? I’ll tell you how I ended up like this and how long ago once you tell me your story.” A polite smile flicks over his features, and I realise that this guy may be more than friendliness and smiles.

“Last week,” I say, and he perks up some more, “I made a wish on a shooting star. Next day, I encountered some..wolf-things and..it went from there.” I explain. Not much to explain, and he nods.

“Okay...I’m glad I found you so soon, then.” He muses, drumming his fingers against the table, “mine happened a year ago today. I encountered a beast similar to the cat, and it killed the guy who was fighting it. I was so scared that I was gonna die, I don’t know what happened after, but since then I’ve been...” Marco pauses, seeming to be thinking, “a Magical Boy, I suppose you’d call us.”

I snort, almost with laughter - because he’s using the exact same term that I’ve used.

Armin walks over and sets a cup of coffee down in front of me, and one in front of Marco, before grabbing a chair and turning it to sit by us.

“Magical Boy is the term, technically. We’re not super-heroes or whatever.” He says, and Marco nods in agreement, before pointing to Armin’s hand. Armin gives a little ‘oh’ and holds his hand out so I can see his mark.

I was right about the pale purple cross and circle, and he has a pale blue..wavy symbol, I don’t know. It’s hard to describe, but it’s definitely different.

“I became one with my friend, Eren.” Armin smiles sheepishly, “we were in a similar situation to Marco, about two months ago, and it was the only thing we could do to save our lives. Uh..” He frowns a little after that and studies me, “it’s strange that you were in a different situation. There are...five of us, six, now. At least, to our knowledge.” He chuckles.

I’m listening intently, because yeah, he’s explaining a load of cool things, and I’ve never been more interested in my life.  
Marco looks down at his coffee and sighs.

“It’s a dangerous life. I’ve seen a load of deaths over the past year, and a load of them have been friends.” He smiles weakly, and I realise that he hates this life - it’s obvious from the way he’s almost glaring at his hand.

Trial and error, I realise. Trial and error is how people learn. Marco’s probably failed to save people, and he only managed to save me because he’s skilled in this. Far more skilled than I’ll ever be.

Armin and Marco explain a few more things to me(mainly about how the cafe is more of a safe-place for the Magical Boys), before it hits me that I have to go. They both give me their phone-numbers, just so I can call them in an emergency, and I leave, having time to think over what just happened.

All I was doing was going for a walk, I didn’t know that I’d end up becoming included with more people like me, but inwardly, I know I’m glad.

My phone vibrates and I groan, checking it to see Armin’s name on the screen.

[from: Armin]  
Do you want to work here?

I squint at my phone and try to process what Armin means, before I realise what he means, and think about it carefully.

[to: Armin]  
Is the pay good?

I smile at my clever question and shove my phone in my pocket, jogging the last of the way to my house and entering, kicking my shoes aside once I’m in, and looking around. It’s quiet. As usual.

“I’m home.” I call.

Nobody’s here. Of course not, it’s rare my parents are home.

I sigh and head upstairs to my room, walking in and flopping on my bed, checking my phone, to find that Armin’s replied.

[from: Armin]  
Yeah, it’s really good, because we get a lot of business during the week, as we’re a popular cafe, despite seeming small.

I consider the offer carefully after that. I need a job, and it’s somewhere where I can ask more about the Magical Boy business and shit.

[to: Armin]  
yeah okay then.

Once the text is sent, I toss my phone aside and roll onto my stomach, sighing softly and closing my eyes. I won’t be able to sleep, but I can at least think over everything that’s happened so far.

I’ve met Marco and Armin, both who are like me, and apparently there are others. I also saw a slightly scarier beast and now I’m a little scared for my life.  
Oh, and I may have just got a job.

This is already turning out to be interesting and it’s just a Sunday.

I lift my head slightly and study the symbol on my hand, managing a small smile. It honestly looks kinda cool, but my smile drops when I remember, oh yeah, this thing could probably be the cause of my death.

“Fuck everything.” I groan to myself, burying my face in my covers again.

A small scrabbling noise catches my attention, and lift my head and this is not my room.

This is definitely not my room.

I sit up quickly and look around - where the fuck am I? I didn’t notice moving, did something...no.

Magical Boy business.

But...there isn’t a creature anywhere, I’m just in the realm. The purple sky shows that, but my bed is hovering in mid-air, and I look down to see the ground is a pure black colour, shadows licking upwards. There’s a white path to my left, and I stand up on my bed, jumping over to the path, and barely making it.

“No.” I groan, beginning to walk, “I don’t know what I’m meant to do..this is new.” I mumble, looking around. There are smaller things, little black shadows with eyes floating around, and it hits me that I might not be safe anywhere.

 _Maybe I should transform_ , I think to myself, swallowing thickly. _I’m unnerved as it is, it might be a good idea..._

I decide to go with my gut instinct, and pause to hold my hand up to my chest, tapping the infinity-symbol on my hand lightly. There’s a white light, I can feel the changes as I transform, and it’s over fairly quickly. I hold my hands up and my twin-pistols appear in them. Excellent.

“This is much safer.” I tell myself, and I begin to jog along the path, wondering where the hell I’m meant to go.

I continue on, and, after a while, I come to a stop in front of a strange door.

“Do not open the door!” Someone snaps, and I yelp, spinning around to look at whoever it is. I blink slowly, and it takes me a good few minutes to realise it’s Marco.

Oh no.

He’s hot.

He has a cropped, white jacket and a white shirt with a golden waistcoat, and his pants are white too, with golden knee-high boots. Okay. No. This guy is illegally attractive in so many ways like this.

Okay, hello gay thoughts, I’m kind-of confused and in danger, please do not intrude on me now.

“Hi.” I say.

Marco gives me a stern look, and I manage a small smile at him. This guy is definitely more than just kindness and smiles.

He turns his gaze to the door, and sighs.

“A boss.” He says.

“Like..something in a video game?” I ask, and he frowns at me.

“...more or less.” He sighs, and puts his hand on the door, “I’m going to take this thing out. You wait here for Armin and Eren, they’re coming.”

I raise my eyebrows at him, but he doesn’t give me a chance to respond as he opens the door and jumps, the door shutting behind him.

So I wait.

And I wait.

And I wait.

“Jean!” I hear Armin’s voice after ten minutes, and I turn to look, seeing that he’s running towards me with an angry-looking brunet behind him. “Is..Marco..?” He peeks behind me, and I nod, noticing that neither of them have transformed.

“Shit.” The guy with him breathes, looking at the door before he turns his gaze to me, snorting and looking away.

Armin runs a hand through his hair.

“Can you go through and make sure he’s okay? Eren and I are gonna transform out here.” He gives me a hopeful look, and I nod, turning to face the door, and swallowing back my fears, because c’mon, I can fucking do this.

I put my hand on the handle of the door and swallow, before I open it and blink in surprise - it looks like a black void.

Oh well.

You only live once, right?

I jump into the void, and the door shuts behind me as I fall.

I land with a soft thud, and on my stomach. Ow.

I roll over and stand up quickly, looking around carefully, before I spot Marco.

He’s fighting viciously against a strange think, it’s huge and black and has red eyes, I can’t even tell if it’s in the shape of something, but I see it’s weak-point - the red gem on it’s stomach, and Marco’s obviously trying to get to it.

He glances over his shoulder, and obviously spots me, his eyes widening slightly. That moment of distraction gets him hit back by the creature and he gives a loud yelp as he’s thrown to the ground, landing with a loud thud, and bouncing a little, but he’s instantly back on his feet and attacking.

“Jean!” He yells as he continues to throw his knives, dodging the attacks of the creature as he does so, “what are you doing here?!”

He sounds pissed.

“Armin told me to make sure you were okay!” I call back, and he seems to relax a little, but only briefly before he’s forced to move around again.

I hear a soft ‘oof’ behind me, and turn to look at Armin, who’s transformed, but where’s the other guy? Oh well.

Armin stands up quickly and jumps to help Marco.

“Stay.” He tells me as he goes, running as quickly as he can, holding a rapier in one hand. I take the opportunity to see what he’s wearing - and he’s wearing a pink and purple version of my outfit. That’s actually adorable.

As in.

Really, really adorable.

I’m snapped out of my thoughts by another ‘oof’, and the guy Armin was with earlier shoots past me and follows to help Marco.

Eren, that’s his name, I remember as I scan over his outfit, and he has the same outfit as Armin and I, just a deep green and dark blue colour. Okay. So, apparently, the Magical Boys are limited to two outfits in various colours, and Marco’s the only one who seems to have a different outfit.

Fashion disaster, in my opinion, but at least I look good.

I watch them from where I stand - they work well together. Eren and Armin distract the creature while Marco runs underneath and looks up, before he tosses a few knives up, jumping from the ground and spinning a little, his leg lashing out to kick the knives up.

Okay. He’s really, really skilled at fighting.

The knives miss, the closest being inches away, and Marco looks worried, because the creature is catching up to Eren and Armin, and their movements are slowing, and I’m tempted to help. The red gem is in my firing range, all I have to do is unfreeze.

But I can’t. I’m stuck to the spot, because no matter how much I tell myself that I’m not scared, I’m fucking terrified.

I hear Eren yelp, I’m aware of Armin and Marco as they yell his name, and I’m painfully aware as Eren hits the ground.

Something in Marco changes and he moves much faster than he’s been moving, the knives seeming to become more powerful.

The creature roars and screams, thrashing wildly, now. And then it’s gone, just like that. I’m still stuck to the spot, but Marco and Armin are running to where Eren landed, but me? I can’t move. I don’t know what to do, but the realm around us vanishes and we’re...in the local park? That’s strange, that we’ve moved from where we were before.

“Eren!” I hear Armin’s voice, and I swallow thickly as I quickly run towards where they are, only to notice that I’m not wearing shoes. Yeah. I forgot that when the realm vanishes we generally lose our transformation status, and now I’m running across grass and mud in my socks, and it’s really cold.

I reach them, and sigh in relief, because Eren’s sitting up and rubbing his head, with Armin looking fairly relieved, and the same goes for Marco. None of them look at me as I approach, and I’m thankful for that. I’d rather not be reminded that I just completely wimped out and got stuck to the spot for the duration of that, when I had the perfect opportunity to kill the thing. Yeah, I know.

“Shit..” Eren grumbles, “that really hurt..”

Marco sighs and eventually looks at me.

“You okay?” He asks, and I nod in reply, rubbing my arm and looking down at the ground. Yeah, I know I fucked up, I wish I’d never wished upon that stupid star, then I wouldn’t be in this situation.

But none of them mention it. Armin helps Eren up and they smile at each-other.

“I left the cafe unattended.” Armin says, still smiling. Marco frowns and looks at the two, before nodding at them, and they leave - just like that.

Marco turns to me.

“Incredible.” He says.

I squint at him.

“Did you freeze up?” He asks. Oh, he noticed.

“No, I just..” I search for an excuse, and he laughs, he actually laughs at me. Little shit.

“You froze up.” Marco’s still laughing, and I scowl at him, but at this, he laughs harder. So I punch him in the chest, not that that’s very useful. Instead, I try to push him over, but that doesn’t work either.

“Stop laughing.” I whine after a while, and he manages to stop, before he pats my head.

“Was that your first time in the other world?” He asks.

Oh.

“Yeah.” I mumble, and he smiles.

“You did good. Kinda. You nearly ended up dead, I’m glad I was there.” His smile fades, and the humour from the situation drops.

Yeah. I forgot briefly that this guy has probably seen a load of deaths, though it makes me wonder.

Would I just be another Magical Boy who failed to survive?

I swallow and look down.

“I should go home.” I mutter. Marco gives a small nod, and doesn’t stop me as I walk away, because I know where this park is, and it’s honestly not far from home.

_Am I going to end up being another guy who bit off more than I can chew?_

It’s genuinely worrying, and I can’t help but wonder when I’m going to die.

I’ve definitely made a mistake.

And I should never have wished upon a star. 


	2. Wo Ist Die Kerzer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh yeah, fighting on my own is definitely a good idea(not), and oh yeah, I'm definitely going to survive! And just who the fuck are you, Marco Bodt? Why are you shrouded in mystery? I need to get closer and find more about you, man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> there's some latin and german in this chapter aww yis but no yeah i probably screwed it up, let me know if i did, since i'm honestly shit at those languages. but otherwise, yeah, enjoy!

A week later, and I’m at the hospital.

Whoa there, don’t worry your head over it. I think I mentioned before that my parents are rarely home, and my mother’s reason is a legit reason; she’s a nurse and tends to work herself as much as possible. It’s my duty to make sure she eats at the very least.

I walk along the hall leading to her office, when a familiar figure catches my eye. I stop and turn my head to look - maybe it’s just my imagination. Nope.

Marco stands outside the door to one of the ICU Rooms, looking down at the ground. I open my mouth to speak, but change my mind; he looks upset.

I check the number of the room, reminding myself to ask my mom, before continuing to walk - I should probably leave Marco alone.

I pause when I hear a whimper and turn to look, seeing that he looks ready to cry. I swallow and turn around, walking onwards.

I’ll definitely ask my mom, this honestly confuses me.

I reach her office and knock the door before entering, and she lifts her head, giving a weak smile.

“Oh, Jean.” She says, and I hold up the bag I’ve been carrying.

“Brought food.” I frown at her, noticing the bags under her eyes; she really hasn’t slept for a while. I walk over and set the bag on the desk, and Mom nods slightly, pausing her work while I walk to the chair and sit down.

“Who’s in ICU Room 105?” I ask quietly. She blinks slowly at me, appearing to be in deep thought.

“I can’t remember off the top of my head,” she admits, “I’ve never been in there. I believe the surname is Bodt, though. Why?”

“I saw a friend outside the door. He looked upset.” No point in lying - she knows when I’m telling a lie anyway, it’s pointless. Mom gives a small nod, then smiles at me.

“Okay. See you later, Jean, maybe. I might be home tonight, if I’m lucky.” She pauses to give a  yawn, before shaking her head, leaning back and pinching the bridge of her nose. I study her, and notice she has grey hairs. Huh, never noticed that before. “Thank you for bringing the food.”

I nod and turn away from her, giving a small sigh before I head out, walking back the way I came. Marco’s not by the door anymore, so I can probably assume he went in, or he left. Either way, I need to get to the Cafe soon, because I know my shift-hours, and it’s nearly time for me to start my shift. It’s a pain in the ass, really.

It’s strangely quiet, I realise, as I walk away from the hospital, glancing over my shoulder. There’s not a single person in sight, and that really is odd, because people come to this hospital really often.

“Oh man.” I mutter to myself, shoving my hands into the pockets of my hoodie, “oh man, oh man.” I breathe, shivering a little as I walk out onto the sidewalk, looking down. I can’t hear the cars. Everything is quiet. It’s really scary, if I’m honest.

Then the ground turns black, and the world becomes dark for a few moments. When everything lights up again, I look up - and it’s shit-scary compared to what I’ve seen.

It’s like I’m in a child’s drawing. Everything seems to be two-dimensional, and the colours are all scribbled, like a kid took a crayon and quickly coloured everything. A soft giggle alerts me to the presence of something else, and I flick my gaze to what caused it, flinching a little as I watch the 2D creature skit along on two legs - it looks kind-of like a rabbit, but it’s got a gross, creepy grin and its tongue sticks out. It notices me and gives a high-pitched scream, running as fast as it can away from me. Fucking hell.

I bring my hand to my chest, and tap the symbol - for once, I’m not blinded by light - have I adjusted to it?

Let me tell you, those Magical Girl animes and mangas? They weren’t fucking around when they had the transformation sequence, but it takes a while, I think. I’m barely in control of my actions, but I’m graceful as fuck, I think.

I don’t know, I honestly can’t see myself, but I know I’m surrounded by a golden light, and my eyes have adjusted completely as my plain jeans and hoodie change to my ‘Magical Boy uniform’. I like it.

Once I’m done, I land in a crouch on the ground, raising my hands to catch the twin pistols I was unaware I summoned.

“Well, that’s new.” I comment to myself as I stand up straight, and look around some more. I feel like something’s changed about me - I feel a little more powerful. Deciding to dismiss it like the idiot I am, I begin to jog along the path, trying not to stumble over the flat ground, because that would be embarrassing.

This is my first time in a realm on my own, better not fuck it up and get killed, now.

Who am I kidding? I’m Jean Kirschtein.

This can only end in disaster.

I shake away the thoughts and continue to jog along, goddamn this place is huge. I just need to find that one door that’ll lead me to the bosses.

Oh. _Shit._

I slow down to a stop and look around. There are three doors. Does that mean three bosses? I’m so confused right now, this is literally the worst day of my life and it’s barely afternoon. I swallow and glance between the doors - there don’t appear to be any differences between them, and that worries me quite a bit. What do I have to do?

Wait, there’s writing on the doors.

The first door says ‘Odium’, the second says ‘Conturbatio’ and the third says ‘Cupiditas’.

Latin, right?

Hatred, mischief and...I don’t know the last one, so I’m gonna go for that. I walk towards it and open it, noticing the void looks like a more purple-blue colour than the black colour before. That’s fine. I shrug slightly and jump, this time having more control of my body. I shift my weight so I can land on my feet, and - hurrah - I do, landing on the balls of my feet, and without much pain. I could really get used to this Magical Boy shit.

The world is still 2D - of course. It looks like...the inside of a circus tent, to me. Badly coloured, though, but bright.

“Kerze, kerze, wo ist die kerze?”

The childish voice causes me to jump a little, and I flick my gaze to a doll-like figure who’s just appeared. It looks like a young girl, shoulder-length pink hair and bright golden eyes, in a frilly pink dress, but she doesn’t look real. She looks 2D - like everything else, and badly coloured.

“Kerze, kerze, wo ist die kerze?” She sings, beginning to walk towards me. Oh man. I can’t do this - she looks so odd, but at the same time, cute. I don’t know what she’s saying, either.

“Kerze, kerze, wo ist die kerze?” She keeps repeating the same thing, and I widen my eyes, jumping out of the way of her attacks - she threw..crayons?

They explode in the place I was previously, and I wince. Okay, not crayons. Maybe I over-estimated myself, I honestly can’t do this on my own. I’m reduced to dodging her while she sings ‘Kerze, kerze, wo ist die kerze?’ over and over, and the song is starting to etch itself into my mind. Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a candle, and I frown a little.

“Kerze, kerze, da ist die kerze!” The boss giggles with glee, and runs towards the candle. I’m so confused right now - what language is she even speaking? It sounds like a throaty language...German, maybe? Sounds it. I don’t know German. I may have a German surname, but the only languages I know are French and English with a side of Latin. How useful.

“Kerze, kerze, es ist meine kerze!” She spins around to face me, holding the candle, which is just as badly drawn as she is.

I jump out of the way of a _fucking flamethrower, oh my fucking god._

This is bad. This is really, really bad.

“Kerze, kerze, es ist meine kerze.” She whispers softly, a gentle pink glow surrounding her, and that thing grows larger, before the picture of the girl suddenly opens her mouth as wide as she can, letting out an earsplitting cry.

I cover my ears automatically and flinch back, but the sound doesn’t hurt me at all, which surprises me. Huh.

She takes a minute to recharge, crouching down and cradling her candle as she returns to her normal size.

It’s now or never, Kirschtein.

I swallow and point both my pistols at her, shooting as quickly as I can while she’s down. The bullets rip through her, causing her to whimper, and oh my fuck, I feel really bad for this. I swallow and continue on, only pausing to dodge her next attack, before I continue on, shooting as rapidly as I can.

I can do this. I know I can. I believe in myself.

I never thought I’d say that before, Jesus.

Her weak-point, a light pink gem, is revealed on the back of her neck. Perfect. I shoot towards it, and one bullet hits it, causing her to cry out before it shatters. Her image stretches out, then contorts in the strangest ways possible before she vanishes, as does the world around me. I land on the ground with a dull thud, and look around.

How convenient, I appear to be outside the cafe.

I brush myself off before walking inside, the little bell above my head tinkling as I do so. Marco looks up and arches an eyebrow.

“You okay there? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He comments as he wipes down the surface. I frown at him and shrug, running a hand through my hair.

“Boss.” I say. Marco tenses slightly and looks up at me, narrowing his eyes. “It’s okay, I, uh. I dealt with it, somehow. And look.” I hold up my hands and manage a small grin, “no injuries.”

He stays silent, continuing to clean the counter, narrowing his eyes a little as he does so.

“What was it like?” He asks quietly.

“Let’s see..it was small and child-like, looked badly coloured, too. Pink, it was. Uh, it kept repeating ‘kerze, kerze, wo ist die kerze?’, which switched to...uh, 'kerze, kerze, da ist die kerze’ and then ‘kerze, kerze, es ist meine kerze’.” I tell him, and he closes his eyes, lowering his head slightly.

“Right, okay. How strange.” Marco mutters, standing up straight after a few more moments, and smiling. “Congrats, though, you defeated a boss on your own and got to work on time. That takes some talent.” He grins.

I nod slightly and manage to smile more genuinely, heading around the counter and walking out back so I can change to my uniform(it’s literally just black pants and a white shirt - they just look better than jeans and a hoodie, trust me), before I grab my apron and put it on, walking back out to stand beside Marco.

“It’s quiet.” I muse. He nods and glances to me.

“Very.” He sighs, running a hand through his hair, “we’ve not had many people in. Quiet days are fairly rare, cherish them.” Marco chuckles, and I nod.

We stay in silence - nobody comes in, so we’re left to do absolutely nothing, until Marco clears his throat.

“Jean, do you know what Walpurgis night is?” He asks quietly. I frown slightly and shake my head, though it sounds familiar. “On the night of the 30th of April, the eve before May Day, some supernatural power weakens us Magical Boys and strengthens the Bosses. There’s one huge boss that will need to be defeated before she destroys the entire town.” He explains, and he’s definitely got my attention now. “That’s ten days away, Jean. We have ten days to strengthen ourselves enough so that we can take down the boss and not die.” His voice has lowered to a whisper.

It hits me then.

Oh.

“Marco...did your last..friends, did they, uh..” I struggle with my words, and he clenches his fists, lowering his head and nodding slowly.

“Yeah,” he barely mumbles, “they all died. Every one of them. I couldn’t do a damn thing to save them, I was so inexperienced. A strange guy saved me, he defeated the boss on his own, but I don’t think he’s going to be there this year. That’s why I’d appreciate it if you trained harder to become stronger, because..” Marco runs a hand through his hair, tilting his head back, “I don’t want anyone to die. Not Eren, not Armin, not you, nor Bertholdt or Reiner.”

“Bertholdt and Reiner?” I question, and he glances to me.

“The other two Magical Boys.” He exhales, “you haven’t met them. You probably won’t until Walpurgis, either.”

“Oh.” I say.

Marco drums his fingers against the counter-top, gritting his teeth.

“Marco?” I ask, and he lifts his head.

“Hm?” He arches an eyebrow, and I swallow.

“Why were you in the hospital earlier?” I question slowly, and his gaze darkens slightly.

“I’ll tell you another time,” he says slowly, “it’s really nothing that you need to know.” His jaw clenches and he looks more pissed than I’ve ever seen him, but then he relaxes and switches to his usual relaxed demeanor. Strange, but I don’t know him very well, so I suppose I should probably just shrug it off, which I do.  
“Okay, just wondering.” I nod slightly. Maybe it would be better to keep my thoughts to myself, I’m prying too much. Sheesh. Why should I care anyway? It’s not like I give a shit or anything, because trust me, I don’t.

It hits me that I’ve been strangely social recently. Usually, I hate people - it’s just a thing I do, but this time...this time I’ve relaxed quicker, I’ve managed to settle down with people, but it hits me why - they’re like me. We’re different. We all risk our lives for something that we don’t want to do, but we do it anyway, because we have no other choice. We could all die tomorrow, and our families would probably think it was some freak accident. That’s the life of a Magical Boy - no-one else knows about these things, because they’ve never seen them. It’s scary.

“Hey, Jean.” Marco’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts, and I look up. “You got a girlfriend?” He asks. The question catches me off-guard. It’s such a...normal question. I would never have expected it from him.

“Uh. No.” I say.

“Boyfriend?” He arches an eyebrow and glances to me.

“Nu-uh.” I shake my head.

Marco gives a half-shrug, and I narrow my eyes at him.

“You?” I ask, and he shakes his head in return.

“Can’t.” He says, “I don’t want to endanger the life of someone I care about. I got out-of-touch with my family because of things like becoming a Magical Boy. It’s too dangerous.”

Oh. I’d never thought of that before.

“Right.” I swallow and lower my head. “Is my family in danger?” I mumble.

“Probably not,” I can practically feel him smiling at me, “trust me,” he says, “it’s rare for family to get endangered. Just..a mishap happened with me, I fucked up. No biggie.” He shrugs.

And that’s how he ends the conversation.

‘No biggie’, he says. ‘I fucked up,’ he says. I’m curious as to what’s happened in the past with him, and I squint at him, studying his features as he stares at the wall. His freckles are scattered randomly over his cheeks, his eyes are a gentle brown, almost doe-like, and that stupid middle parting honestly doesn’t look so bad on him.

Hm.

He looks completely normal, really.

Yep. Completely ordinary, I’d never think he was a Magical Boy from looks. But then, the same goes for Armin and Eren.

The bell over the door jingles softly and both Marco and I look over to see who’s entered. I can’t help but raise an eyebrow.

He’s a short guy with black hair(is that an undercut I see?), and icy grey-ish eyes. He looks like he could kill a guy, jeez. The guy walks over and quickly places money on the counter, and Marco’s already on it - is he a regular?

Marco returns from the back-room with a box and hands it over, taking the money and counting it before nodding. They don’t exchange words, and the short guy leaves instantly.

I give Marco a questioning look and he catches it. I watch as he swallows, looking to the ceiling.

“That was, uh. That was Levi. He’s a regular, but he has something special. Eh..” He rubs his arm and chuckles, “he’s not very talkative around me, but when he does talk, he’s got a pretty foul mouth. He’s kind-of...a strange guy?” He seems to be searching for words, before shrugging. “Yeah. A strange guy. I dunno.”

“Okay.” I say, and we fall into silence again. It’s not an uncomfortable silence, but I don’t like it, at the same time. Whatever, I don’t care.

Soon, the time for me to leave rolls around, and I head out back to change into my jeans and hoodie before I leave, waving to Marco as I do so. I pass Eren(who gives me a small smile, which I don’t return), and walk out, beginning to walk.

Please don’t send me to a realm, please don’t send me to a realm.

God. Fucking. _Damnit._

The world goes dark again, and I land on my face with a thud. Graceful, but this is strange. Everything feels different. I feel like everything is colder than it should’ve been.

I lift my head slowly and narrow my eyes - the entire world is blue, just various shades of blue, marbled together, casting a gentle blue glow on the soft red ground. I sit up and look around, only for the world to change, a door to slam, and the sky to turn a violent shade of red, the ground turning green.

A huge, 2D _thing_ saunters over, standing on its two legs. It looks like it has snakes as hair, and it has one oval eye, which weird me out, as does it’s wide, pointy-toothed smile. Fucking hell.

But it’s on me before I can transform, and I give a yell of surprise, unable to do anything. I’m fucked. I’m so fucked. I’m more than fucked, oh my god.

I expect to die, I really do.

But I don’t.

I hear a grunt and I’m dropped onto the floor. I hear the clang of metal, I hear a growl, a whisper, but I’m in pain.

I landed far too hard, I’m completely winded, but the world changes again, it’s not as cold as it was a moment ago.

“You okay?” It’s Marco’s voice, and I lift my head.

My saviour.

He looks worried, he looks normal, too - ‘cept for a scratch on his cheek.

“Fucking hell,” I say, “they’re really out for me.”

Marco blinks slowly, then chuckles softly, holding his hand out for me and helping me up.

“Yeah, they really are.” He muses, looking around, “do you want me to walk you home? I noticed something was strange and got to you before the realm took you. You’re lucky I was watching, you almost had your head taken off. I’m surprised you aren’t more shaken up..”

“Oh, trust me.” I grimace, rubbing my side as I speak, “I will be far more shaken up when I get over whatever the fuck just happened.”

He smiles gently at me, and I smile back, because goddamn he can move fast, and I feel like he’s some kind of god, at this moment.

Freckled Jesus, perhaps? Seems that way.

“Thank you.” I finally mutter.

“No worries.” He shrugs slightly, “it’s my job, really. Plus, can’t have you dying before you help out on Walpurgis Night.”

There’s some humour behind his words, I know that, but I notice there’s...maybe...sadness there too. I’m even more curious as to how many he’s actually failed to save, as to how many of his friends have died.

Then he’s walking along, gesturing for me to follow - which I do.

“Do you even know where I live?” I ask.

“Yeah.” He taps his nose, “secret Magical Boy stuff. You’ll understand when you train up some more.” He tilts his head to look at me, and I shrug.

“I know that the light doesn’t blind me and that the void looks more of a purple-blue colour now. Oh, and I can jump and land without pain.” I smile, and he smiles back.

“You’re improving.” He mutters, and looks ahead again. He seems to be deep in thought.

My own thoughts wander, and I find myself stuck on wanting to know more about Marco, find out who Marco Bodt really is.

Just what are you, Marco Bodt? And what the hell are you hiding from me?


	3. Counting Down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walpurgis is really fucking close, I don't know who anyone is anymore, but I do know one thing; Marco, I swear to god I will not let anyone die this Walpurgis, mark my words. You won't go through that pain again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter isn't that interesting omfg but i swear to god next chapter will definitely be more interesting.

_Silence. That’s all I hear. There’s nothing around, it’s too quiet. Why? I look around slowly, the sky is darker than usual, but it’s the middle of the day. What on earth is going on? I see a glowing white figure up ahead, and I reach out my hand, wanting to find out who it is. Pain shoots through my body, but I don’t care as I reach my hand out, stretching my fingers out._  
  
Then I wake up.  
  
I pull my hand back and sit up slowly, taking a deep breath, composing myself and giving a small yawn. I tilt my head to look at my alarm clock, the numbers showing that it’s only six in the morning. I slowly get out of bed anyway, and walk out of my room, towards the bathroom.  
  
From how quiet the house is, it’s safe to assume that no-one’s home. Oh well. I shrug to myself as I enter the bathroom, turning on the shower and stripping off while I wait for the water to heat up.   
  
Ah yes, Satan’s balls temperature. Just how I want it.   
  
I step into the shower and grimace at the amount of grime that comes from me. It hits me that I’ve not actually showered for a few days, I’ve just sprayed myself with enough deodorant to keep the stench at bay. Maybe that’s why Marco and Armin were giving me disgusted looks, and why Eren smirked at me.  
  
Oh well, that’s in the past now, no need to dwell on it, I hope. Besides, those three are used to all of this, I’m not  
  
Seven days until Walpurgis night. Seven days to get stronger, or die trying. I grit my teeth and take a deep breath, tilting my head back as the hot water of the shower cascades over me. I flick my thoughts back to a conversation I had with Marco yesterday.  
  
“You’re not a strong person, Jean.” He had said, smiling in his usual way. I’d been a little offended by that, I remember, and chuckle to myself. “But that’s the good thing.” He’d added quickly.  
  
“The good thing?” I asked, and he had nodded slightly.  
  
“Yeah. You know how the weak feel, so you can use that to your advantage.”  
  
He’d then turned around to help a customer, but the memory still plays fresh in my mind. ‘You’re not a strong person’ is something that no-one’s ever told me before, but Marco’s truthful, or at least, he’s truthful to a degree. He’s blunt, more than anything, manages to hide things without lying completely. Honestly? Marco scares me a little.  
  
I give a high-pitched whimper as the water suddenly goes cold, and I realise I’ve been thinking for some time. I quickly turn off the water and get out, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around my waist, and walking out of the bathroom, back towards my room. What day is it today?  
  
Wednesday. I should really go to school, I know, I know. I skipped Monday and Tuesday, the least I could do is go in today.  
  
So I quickly dry myself off and get dressed, grabbing what I need and leaving, because school’s a good walk away from my house, and it’ll take some time to get there. I don’t think I’ll be late, though, I’ve never been late before. Maybe.   
  
\--  
  
I’m a little late to school, but hey, at least I made it. Besides, it’s my last year in this shitty place, then I’ve got to discover what I want to do. Well, I’m meant to know what I’m gonna do now, but y’know.  
  
I should avoid missing school, though. It’s kind-of a good idea to stick in school and try to graduate, at the very least.   
  
Instead, I spend the entire day spacing out in class and wondering what I’m meant to do, and I have a load of homework.  
  
With Walpurgis night being seven days away. I’m so fucked.   
  
\--  
  
Instead of going home after school, I go to the cafe. It’s more relaxing, and the others tend to do their homework there too, so why not? Might as well make myself at home, it’s going to be my safe-place for a while, I know that for a fact.  
  
As I walk in, the bell chimes, and Eren looks up, rolling his eyes.  
  
“Hey, Jean.” He greets. I look around, and notice he’s alone. How weird. I shrug it off and give him a small wave, walking behind the counter and heading to the back-room. There’s two doors, the left is for the kitchen, and the right is for just relaxing. Of course, I go through the right door, and walk in on Marco and Armin talking in hushed voices.  
  
“Hi.” I say, and they look up, looking a little sheepish, but maybe I imagined it, because Marco gives me his usual smile, and Armin manages a smile too.  
  
“Hey, Jean.” Marco greets, lowering his head to focus on the book he’s got in front of him. Armin grunts softly as he stands up, putting on his apron again and walking back out to the shop. We don’t really talk much, he creeps me out a tiny bit, by how clingy he is to Eren, but oh well. I don’t particularly care.  
  
“How’re you?” I ask as I sit down, getting my homework out and a pen, deciding to make a start on it. I can feel Marco’s gaze on me, but try to ignore it - he seems to have a habit of staring. Or at least, I know he stares at me a lot. It’s a little unnerving at times.  
  
“I’m good.” He shrugs slightly and leans back, “over-loaded with schoolwork. A little worried about Walpurgis. The usual.”  
  
Our conversation cuts after there. It happens often, I notice, but I don’t mind. Around Marco, silences are very comfortable, I don’t know why, though. Maybe it’s just because I feel oddly relaxed around him.   
  
We stay in utter silence for a while, and when I look up, I find that Marco’s staring at me. His gaze doesn’t waver even when he realises I’m looking, he just watches me, blinking slowly. I stare back, wondering what he wants, and I’m about to ask, before he shakes his head.  
  
“Do you want to come on a walk with me?” He offers. I look at my homework, and, seeing as I’m almost done, I give a small nod, standing up. Marco smiles softly and stands up as well, grabbing his jacket and shrugging it on, while I wait. Once he’s done with that, we walk out of the room and head to the door, giving small waves to Armin and Eren, who wave back, seeming fairly cheerful. The shop is getting busy, so hopefully they’ll be okay on their own.  
  
Marco begins to walk, and I follow along, seeing as he appears to know exactly where he’s going to take me. His steps are rather quick, and seeing as his stride is long as it is, I have to walk faster than usual to catch up to him. I’m a little salty at our height-difference, despite the fact that he’s not so tall that I have to crane my neck, but I still have to look up to look at him, and that bugs me. I know it’s childish, but I don’t care.  
  
For a while, we’re just walking, and there’s silence. Nothing bothers us, for once, we don’t end up in a realm, and overall...it’s peaceful. Almost...too peaceful.  
  
“It’s quiet.” Marco comments, not too long after I think about that. I squint at him, before I nod slightly. “Odd. They’re probably preparing for Walpurgis night, though.” He muses, and I realise he’s talking to himself. Does he remember I’m with him? I speed up a little so I can walk at his side, and he’s staring ahead, seeming to be thinking.   
  
“Marco?” I ask, and he almost jumps out of his skin, turning his head to look at me, eyes widened slightly. He stays silent and stops walking, staring at me, before the corners of his lips twitch down in a frown.  
  
“Oh,” he says, swallowing and putting a hand over his chest, “I forgot..you were with me. Sorry.” He gives a small smile and looks around, as do I. We’re in a bad part of town, now; there’s the smell of garbage in the air, and the buildings are covered in graffiti and I swear, there’s blood splattered on the brick wall to my left. “I think we’re almost there. Just a little further.”  
  
He begins walking again, and I feel like there’s a lump in my throat - I’m getting pretty unnerved, now, but I sigh shakily and follow him nonetheless, since there’s no point in turning and walking the way we came, since my sense of direction is dreadful. I would not recommend following me around, I’d get lost and then I wouldn’t be able to give you directions. Dreadful. Absolutely terrible.  
  
“We’re here.”   
  
Marco’s voice brings me out of my thoughts and I stop beside him. We’re standing in the middle of a wide, open space. It’s fairly muddy, with shards of glass, pieces of concrete and bricks strewn about, and little tufts of grass trying to shove their way through the thick mud. I give Marco the most questioning look I can muster, and he smiles - it’s almost a sad smile, and I wonder what’s wrong.  
  
“Marco?” I narrow my eyes at him slightly, wondering what’s going on - why we’re here. I’m confused, I’m not gonna deny that, and I want to know what the fuck is going on, because everything’s really fuckin’ weird right now, and I just want to understand something, for once.  
  
“Are you scared, Jean?” He turns around to face me, smiling at me. His eyes are dull, he doesn’t have the little dimples he gets when he smiles, either. It looks forced.  
  
“No.” I say.  
  
Marco sighs and turns away from me, running a hand through his hair, and I wonder what’s going on. He’s acting strange - but then, do I know him well enough to say that? ...I decide that I do, and take a deep breath.  
  
“What’s going on, Marco?” I ask slowly, and he shakes his head, lowering it and chuckling softly.   
  
“I don’t know anymore. I really don’t.” He mutters, before turning around to face me. “Walpurgis night is almost here, Jean. I’m going to lose my friends again, I just know it.”  
  
So that’s what this is about. I don’t know how I can reassure him that no-one’s going to die. I just don’t, but it’s upset Marco to the point that he’s dragged me out here. Which reminds me that I honestly don’t know where we are. Sure, we’re probably still in Trost, but where, exactly? I’m so confused, I just don’t know what to do with myself anymore.  
  
“Marco,” I swallow thickly, managing a small smile. “It’s going to be okay. We can work together, we can get through this.”  
  
He shakes his head slightly and runs a hand through his hair again, rocking back on his heels briefly, before looking around, narrowing his eyes slightly.  
  
“I don’t know. You say that, but you’re new.” Marco faces me and smiles gently, “I shouldn’t have pulled you into this so quickly. I should’ve left you alone until after Walpurgis. That would’ve been safer, but now my actions have endangered you.”  
  
I stare at him, trying to comprehend what he’s saying, before I shake my head, and bark out a rough laugh, but it’s definitely not a humourous one.  
  
“You’re joking, right? It’s my decision, I could’ve walked away. You listen here, you little shit.” I storm over to him, grab the front of his shirt and pull him until he’s eye-level with me, growling a little as I do so, “we’re going to fuck up that boss in a week, and when we do, you’re going to owe us so much, got it?”   
  
I feel as if my method of trying to be reassuring is dreadful, and it probably made him feel worse. He stares at me, his lower-lip trembling, before he pushes me away as gently as he can, and nods, lowering his head.  
  
“Right. I’m sorry for piling this on you.” Marco pauses to chuckle, “we barely know each-other.”  
  
“Let’s get to know each-other, then.” I offer, wincing at how social I’m being, but hey, I suppose Magical Boys have to stick together. “After Walpurgis. If we survive, you owe me a coffee or something.”  
  
“You make it sound like you’re going to make me take you for a date after.” He comments, and I scowl at him, frustrated, but then I find myself smirking.  
  
“Yeah, okay. If we survive, you are taking me on a date.” I declare.  
  
Marco’s cheeks darken slightly, and his eyebrows raise so high I swear they’re gonna vanish into his hair. I find my own cheeks heating up, but ignore it completely.  
  
“Okay.” He finally says, sounding a little lost and mildly confused. Perfect. I have confused the freckled Magical Boy, that was totally my intention.  
  
...But at least he’s not upset anymore, and that makes me smile. I manage to calm someone down without them crying or breaking down instead. That’s got to be a win, for sure.   
  
“Why did you bring us here, though?” I ask, looking around again. Marco looks around as well, and gives a small shrug.  
  
“‘S my calm place.” He tells me, walking over to one of the tufts of grass that struggles to grow through the mud, kneeling down and smiling at it while I watch from where I stand. “It’s soothing to be here, I suppose. It looks like trash, I know, but it’s always been here.” He explains. “I also defeated my first boss here.” He adds, with a quiet laugh.  
  
“What was your first boss like?” I ask him curiously. He tilts his head to the side, then stands up straight, turning to look at me, seeming to be in some thought.  
  
“It was hard, but I managed it...barely.” Marco’s gaze softens slightly as he speaks, and I wonder what happened back then, but I decide not to ask. “It’s not important. I might tell you another time.” He waves his hand airily, before he begins to walk. Back the way we came, from the looks of it, so I follow. “I’m not a good fighter, I just know how to fight the bosses. I’ve learnt most of them inside and out by now, I suppose.”  
  
I take this into consideration, before nodding slowly, speeding up so I can walk alongside him.  
  
“So..you’re just experienced? What about the others?”   
  
“Oh, Armin, Eren, Bert and Reiner? They’re naturals. Bert and Reiner are rarely around us, though. Armin and Eren stick around the cafe due to it being our safe-place. They prefer to stay way from realms.”  
  
I listen to him intently, finding myself noticing a slight accent, not something from around.   
  
“Where are you from, Marco? As in, before you came to Trost?” I find myself asking, before I can ask. He glances to me and laughs softly, turning his gaze ahead.  
  
“Jinae.” He tells me, and I utter a soft ‘oh’, realising that that’s where the accent comes from. “Born and raised, but came here to Trost because it’s cheaper living.” Marco nods slightly, and I find myself smiling again.  
  
Weird. I don’t usually smile this much, but Marco’s...kinda relaxing to be around. I think I could befriend him, it would be nice to, at least.  
  
“Come on,” Marco stretches his arms above his head. “I’ll race you to the cafe. It’s not that far.” He shoots me a mischievous grin, before he breaks into a sprint. The little shit. I race after him, but god, his legs are long, and I honestly don’t think I’m gonna catch up.  
  
\--  
  
Ten minutes later, and we’re back. I’m out of breath completely, almost collapsing onto Marco as we walk into the cafe, which is closed but Armin’s still there, so we can collect our things before we go.  
  
“You suck at running.” Marco laughs at me as he gathers up his schoolwork and puts it in his bag. I shoot him a glare.  
  
“You suck in general.” I stick my tongue out childishly, having put my things away. I sling my bag over my shoulder, “you gonna be Prince Charming and walk me home?” I tease.  
  
Marco pauses his actions to give me a mock bow, a playful smirk gracing his lips. He’s definitely in a better mood, which is definitely good.  
  
“Of course, Princess.” He chuckles, and I roll my eyes as I watch him pick up his bag. We both walk out and give waves to Armin.  
  
“Be safe!” Armin calls after us, “oh, and Marco?” He adds.  
  
“Yeah?” Marco turns to look at the blond, and gives a gentle smile, which Armin returns, though it’s faint.  
  
“We’ll be fine.” He says quietly. Marco’s smile falters, before it widens a little and he nods, before turning on his heel and lightly pushing me out of the shop, shutting the door behind us. I know what that was about, I don’t need to ask, so I don’t. We fall into silence as we walk alongside each-other, and again, it’s a comfortable one.   
  
“Well,” I say as I reach my house, turning to look at Marco, “see you tomorrow, Marco.”   
  
He grins at me and nods.  
  
“Be safe, Jean.” He says as he waves, picking up the pace a little as he walks. I can’t help but watch, before I enter my own house and sigh softly, kicking off my shoes. I’m really tired, not that that’s new, but it’s good, this time. I’m kind-of glad that I’m tired, because I can sleep undisturbed. Hopefully.  
  
\--  
  
Six days til Walpurgis. Marco doesn’t turn up to the cafe.  
  
Five days til Walpurgis. Armin vanishes.  
  
Four days til Walpurgis. Eren goes to find the two.  
  
Three days til Walpurgis. I’m all alone.  
  
Two days til Walpurgis. Marco returns.  
  
One day til Walpurgis. Eren and Armin remain missing.  
  
One hour til Walpurgis, and Marco and I stand on the top of a building that Marco brought us up to. It has the full view of the city, and for once, I realise how beautiful Trost at night is.  
  
“One hour.” Marco breathes softly, tilting his head up, and smiling. “Are you with me, Jean?” He turns his head to look at me, and I grit my teeth, clenching my fists.  
  
“Yeah,” I say, in the most determined tone I can muster, “I’m definitely fucking ready.”


End file.
